Department for Transport

Railways: Finance

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 13 September 2016 to Question 45695, what proportion of rail fares paid by passengers are reinvested in the railways by Network Rail.

Paul Maynard: An error has been identified in the written answer given on 17 October 2016.The correct answer should have been:

The Office of Road & Rail calculates that 97 pence in every pound raised from passenger journeys is spent on running or improving the railway by Network Rail and the Train Operating Companies. Approximately 26 pence in every pound is reinvested through capital enhancements and renewals.[1] [1] http://orr.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0015/21039/gb-rail-industry-financial-information-2014-15.pdfThe Rail Delivery Group calculates that 97 pence in every pound raised from passenger journeys is spent on running or improving the railway by Network Rail and the Train Operating Companies. Approximately 26 pence in every pound is reinvested through capital enhancements and renewals.[1] [1] http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/ticket_types/83871.aspx

Paul Maynard: The Office of Road & Rail calculates that 97 pence in every pound raised from passenger journeys is spent on running or improving the railway by Network Rail and the Train Operating Companies. Approximately 26 pence in every pound is reinvested through capital enhancements and renewals.[1] [1] http://orr.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0015/21039/gb-rail-industry-financial-information-2014-15.pdfThe Rail Delivery Group calculates that 97 pence in every pound raised from passenger journeys is spent on running or improving the railway by Network Rail and the Train Operating Companies. Approximately 26 pence in every pound is reinvested through capital enhancements and renewals.[1] [1] http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/ticket_types/83871.aspx

Heathrow Airport

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has the power to enforce landing slot requirements at Heathrow Airport to ensure (a) access for domestic flights and (b) the use of cleaner aircraft by airlines in the event of a third runway being built at that airport.

Mr John Hayes: Under European Union regulations airport slot allocation in the UK is managed by a designated co-ordinator independently of the Government, the Civil Aviation Authority and other interested parties. However, the Secretary of State for Transport made clear in his recent statement on airport capacity that the Government will take all necessary steps to enhance the UK’s domestic air connectivity including, where appropriate, ring-fencing a proportion of new slots for routes supported by public service obligations.

Department for Transport: Pay

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of women are employed by his Department on an inner London pay structure in the following pay grades (a) Administrative Assistant, (b) Administrative Officer, (c) Executive Officer, (d) Higher Executive Officer, (e) Fast Streamer, (f) Senior Executive Officer, (g) Grade Seven, (h) Grade Six, (i) Senior Civil Service Band 1, (j) Senior Civil Service Band 1A, (k) Senior Civil Service Band 2 and (l) Senior Civil Service Band 3.

Mr John Hayes: The table below contains the percentage of Male and Female DfT permanent employees on a London pay scale. AA*AOEOFast StreamHEOSEOGrade 7Grade 6SCS Band 1SCS Band 1A**SCS Band 2SCS Band 3Female0%63%44%36%40%40%40%34%36%0%30%50%Male100%37%56%64%60%60%60%66%64%0%70%50%* Please note, there is only one AA on an inner London pay structure in DfT** There are no staff within SCS Band 1A

Aviation: Environment Protection

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has to (a) consult on and (b) publish new guidance for the Civil Aviation Authority on Environmental Objectives Relating to the Exercise of its Air Navigation Functions.

Mr John Hayes: We expect to consult early next year with a view to publishing revised guidance by summer 2017.

Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has consulted the Office of Rail and Road on the implications for its remit of the draft Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership.

Andrew Jones: The Department for International Trade leads on Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) and has established a process for regular cross-Whitehall engagement with relevant parts of Government to ensure matters arising from the TTIP discussions have been considered appropriately. There has also been extensive engagement with various stakeholders.

Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with the Civil Aviation Authority on the implications for its remit of the draft Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership.

Mr John Hayes: The Secretary of State for Transport has had no discussions with the Civil Aviation Authority on the implications for its remit of the draft Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership.

Ports: Calais

Mr Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department has taken to improve the information and advice it provides to hauliers and businesses affected when operation of the port of Calais is disrupted.

Mr John Hayes: Highways England has placed additional monitoring and variable messaging signs equipment across the motorways and major trunk road of Kent. This enables both Kent Police and Highways England to dynamically manage traffic flows and provide up to date messaging for drivers. This is enabled by additional temporary mobile Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) which has been deployed on M2, M20, A20, A229, A249 and A299 to supplement Highways England’s existing cameras. Sensors have been deployed at strategic points on the M20 and at the contingency site at Manston Airfield for lorry counting purposes.

Railways: Finance

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 17 October 2016 to Question 47386, whether every pound raised from passenger journeys means every pound spent by passengers on rail journeys.

Paul Maynard: Pursuant to the Answer of 17 October 2016 to Question 47386, every pound raised from passenger journeys means every pound spent by passengers on rail journeys.

Railways: Finance

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 17 October 2016 to Question 47386, on railways: finance, what the remaining 74 pence is spent on.

Paul Maynard: Pursuant to the Answer of 17 October 2016 to Question 47386, figures[1] collated by the private company, Rail Delivery Group, evidence the following breakdown for the remaining 74 pence:22 pence on maintaining track and trains;25 pence on industry staff costs;11 pence on leasing trains;9 pence on interest payments and other costs;4 pence on fuel for trains; and3 pence on train company profits.  [1] http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/ticket_types/83871.aspx

Crossrail 2 Line

Mr David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans his Department has to ensure that local communities are (a) kept informed of and (b) consulted on proposals for Crossrail 2; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Maynard: Consultation is essential to keep people well informed and allow them to have their say on Crossrail 2. Working closely with Transport for London and Network Rail, we must ensure that we are achieving value for money, which requires a robust business case and funding plan. As the Crossrail 2 scheme progresses and as the business case is presented, we will ensure there are further opportunities for the public to be consulted.

Crossrail 2 Line

Mr David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to ensure that the Crossrail 2 strategic outline business case will be approved by Spring 2017.

Paul Maynard: The government is pushing forward with plans for ‎Crossrail 2. Officials are working closely with Transport for London and Network Rail to develop a robust Strategic Outline Business Case and funding plan. This work includes examining ways to improve the scheme’s affordability and helping to ensure that the non-transport benefits, such as housing, are realised.

Crossrail 2 Line

Mr David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to ensure that hybrid legislative proposals for Crossrail 2 will be ready to be brought before Parliament in 2019; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Maynard: A robust business case and funding plan will provide the foundations to allow Crossrail 2 development to progress at pace before, during, and after a Hybrid Bill. An extensive programme of work is being undertaken to prepare to deposit a Hybrid Bill, in line with recommendations made by the National Infrastructure Commission, subject to Parliamentary time allowing and approval of the business case.

Department for Communities and Local Government

War Graves: Repairs and Maintenance

Mr Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Written Ministerial Statement of 18 December 2014, HCWS154, what progress has been made on the grave restoration campaign to restore the graves of First World War recipients who are buried in the UK but not under the care of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's restoration project, including the numbers and locations of the graves in question.

Mr Marcus Jones: Holding answer received on 08 November 2016



Between 2014 and March 2016 my Department supported the Victoria Cross Trust to restore 50 graves of First World War Victoria Cross recipients who are buried in the United Kingdom but are not under the care of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's restoration. In November 2016, the then Chancellor announced a further £600,000 to support restoration of the remaining graves.

Local Government Finance

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what plans the Government has to replace EU funding currently received by local authorities when the UK leaves the EU.

Mr Marcus Jones: Leaving the EU means that we will want to decide how we deliver the policy objectives currently delivered by EU-funded programmes. We will set out our proposals in due course.

Communities and Local Government: Pay

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what proportion of women are employed by his Department on an inner London pay structure in the following pay grades (a) Administrative Assistant, (b) Administrative Officer, (c) Executive Officer, (d) Higher Executive Officer, (e) Fast Streamer, (f) Senior Executive Officer, (g) Grade Seven, (h) Grade Six, (i) Senior Civil Service Band 1, (j) Senior Civil Service Band 1A, (k) Senior Civil Service Band 2 and (l) Senior Civil Service Band 3.

Mr Marcus Jones: The proportion of women employed in my Department on a London pay structure in each pay grade is as follows: Pay GradeProportion Female %Administrative Officer47%Executive Officer48%Higher Executive Officer46%Fast Streamer33%Senior Executive Officer58%Grade 750%Grade 653%SCS Pay Band 146%SCS Pay Band 250%SCS Pay Band 380%SCS Pay Band 4100%

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Electricity Generation

James Heappey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what gigawatt capacity of gas or diesel reciprocating engines won 15-year contracts in the first two T4 Capacity Market auctions.

Jesse Norman: Around 0.7GW and 0.9GW of reciprocating engines won 15-year agreements in the four-year ahead Capacity Market auctions in 2014 and 2015 respectively.

Innovation

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to promote innovation in (a) south east England and (b) nationally.

Margot James: Innovate UK has invested around £1.8 billion in innovation; supporting 7,600 UK businesses and creating around 55,000 new jobs. We are supporting more companies to innovate through R&D Tax Credits; with claims rising to £2.45bn in 2014-15.In London and South East England, the Cell and Gene Therapy; Future Cities; and the Digital Catapults have been established to commercialise new and emerging technologies where there are large global market opportunities. And companies are already benefitting from our support. For example; Dearman, based in Croydon, won an inspirational SME innovation award recently for its clean cold and power technologies.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Temporary Employment

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how much his Department has spent on agency workers in each of the last five years.

Margot James: The expenditure on agency workers is included in the Department’s Annual Report and Accounts.The former Department of Energy and Climate Change’s annual spend on temporary staff (including Non-Departmental Public Bodies and Executive Agency) is as follows:Financial YearSpend on temporary staff £’0002011-125,4342012-136,8472013-1410,1712014-159,8392015-1611,706The former Department for Business, Innovation and Skills’ annual spend on temporary staff (including Executive Agency and Non-Departmental Public Bodies) is as follows:Financial YearSpend on temporary staff £’0002011-1267,3502012-1385,3372013-1487,8462014-1570,7112015-1657,397The expenditure on agency workers is included in the Department’s Annual Report and Accounts under ‘other staff costs’ which is the basis for this answer. Please be aware that the costs may include payments to non-executive board members.Total annual spend on temporary staff for the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy is therefore:Financial YearSpend on temporary staff £’0002011-1272,7842012-1392,1842013-1498,0172014-1580,5502015-1669,103

Carbon Monoxide: Alarms

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if his Department will introduce a ban on the import of carbon monoxide alarms which do not comply with the BS EN 50291 safety standard after the UK leaves the EU.

Margot James: The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy currently has no plans to introduce a ban on the import of carbon monoxide alarms that do not comply with the BS EN 50291 safety standard when the UK leaves the EU. However, we continue to consider what measures are likely to be most effective in ensuring protection against carbon monoxide poisoning.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

North Korea: BBC

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether his Department has received representations from the BBC on providing a Korean-language service for North Korea.

Alok Sharma: There have been ongoing discussions between the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the BBC on a package of new language services. The details of these are being finalised by the BBC, which is operationally and editorially independent of government, and an announcement will be made shortly. We strongly support the BBC’s mission to bring accurate, high quality and impartial news to global audiences, including to countries where free speech is restricted.

Department for Exiting the European Union

Department for Exiting the European Union: Pay

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what proportion of women are employed by his Department on an inner London pay structure in the following pay grades (a) Administrative Assistant, (b) Administrative Officer, (c) Executive Officer, (d) Higher Executive Officer, (e) Fast Streamer, (f) Senior Executive Officer, (g) Grade Seven, (h) Grade Six, (i) Senior Civil Service Band 1, (j) Senior Civil Service Band 2, (k) Senior Civil Service Band 1A, (l) Senior Civil Service Band 2 and (m) Senior Civil Service Band 3.

Mr David Jones: The Department for Exiting the European Union is a London based Department and we now have over 250 staff plus the expertise of over 120 officials in Brussels, and we are still growing rapidly. We are not in a position to give a final total for the proportion of women employed as recruitment is ongoing and we will not be giving a running commentary.A portion of this data is publicly available on Gov.uk. This organisation chart shows the proportion of women employed at SCS Bands 2 and 3. Found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/545007/Department_for_Exiting_the_EU_-_Senior_Management_Team.pdf

Department for Exiting the European Union: Temporary Employment

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, how much his Department has spent on agency workers in each of the last five years.

Mr David Jones: The Department for Exiting the European Union was established on 14 July 2016 and therefore no data is held prior to this date. As of 4th November 2016, the estimated costs of agency workers incurred by the department is £2,750, including VAT.

Devolution

Tom Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, which repatriated powers will become the responsibility of the devolved administrations when the UK leaves the EU.

Mr David Jones: The implications of exiting the EU for the devolution settlements will require discussion with the devolved administrations. The Prime Minister has made clear her intention to engage with the devolved administrations, and the Joint Ministerial Committee (EU Negotiations) has been established to provide a forum for the discussion of issues stemming from the negotiation process.

Department for International Development

Department for International Development: Temporary Employment

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much her Department has spent on agency workers in each of the last five years.

Rory Stewart: DFID spend on agency workers for each of the last full 5 financial years is set below. Spend in the last year is at its lowest level for the last 10 years. YearTemporary agency staff & non payroll staff (£m)2011/12£1.22012/13£1.22013/14£2.12014/15£1.22015/16£0.6

Department for International Development: Pay

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what proportion of women are employed by her Department on an inner London pay structure in the following pay grades (a) Administrative Assistant, (b) Administrative Officer, (c) Executive Officer, (d) Higher Executive Officer, (e) Fast Streamer, (f) Senior Executive Officer, (g) Grade Seven, (h) Grade Six, (i) Senior Civil Service Band 1, (j) Senior Civil Service Band 1A, (k) Senior Civil Service Band 2 and (l) Senior Civil Service Band 3.

Rory Stewart: The table below confirms the proportion of women employed in each pay grade for inner London in relation to the workforce that are in overall DFID inner London pay structure for that grade. CS GradeProportion of Female employees G647.4 %G758%SEO57.7%HEO62.4%EO65.5%AO59.25%AA0

Department for Education

Members: Correspondence

Rob Marris: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she plans to respond to the letter from the hon. Member for Wolverhampton South West of 30 August 2016 on the Kingston Centre (Primary PRU), our case reference ZA5075.

Rob Marris: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she plans to respond to Question 48855, tabled on 17 October 2016 by the hon. Member for Wolverhampton South West.

Caroline Dinenage: The Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the School System sent a reply to the Hon. Member’s letter on 24 October 2016.

Students: Loans

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of further education institutions in England offer courses funded by advanced learner loans.

Robert Halfon: 723 providers have Advanced Learner Loans facility agreements with the Skills Funding Agency (SFA). This gives the provider the ability to offer loans-funded provision to learners, and to receive loan payments from the Student Loans Company on behalf of learners.Of mainstream providers who are in receipt of an Adult Education Budget or Adult Apprenticeship funding from the SFA, 63% have an Advanced Learner Loans facility agreement. There are providers that hold Advanced Learner Loans facility agreements and have received this agreement through open application, but do not have funding agreement with the SFA – these are not included in this percentage.

Primary Education: Standards

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the relative level of pupil performance in West Sussex at key stage (a) 1, (b) 2, (c) 3 and (d) 4 compared to the average such performance in England.

Nick Gibb: Information on pupil performance in West Sussex and nationally at Key Stages 1, 2 and 4 is published as part of the “Phonics screening check and key stage 1 assessments: England 2016”[1], “National curriculum assessments: key stage 2, 2016 (provisional)”[2] and “GCSE and equivalent results: 2015 to 2016 (provisional)”[3] statistical first releases (SFRs). The Department no longer collects information on Key Stage 3 results. Further details are available in the secondary school accountability consultation response[4]. The table below shows 2016 teacher assessed provisional attainment information for pupils at the end of Key Stage 1: [1] https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/phonics-screening-check-and-key-stage-1-assessments-england-2016[2] https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/national-curriculum-assessments-key-stage-2-2016-provisional[3] https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/gcse-and-equivalent-results-2015-to-2016-provisional[4]https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/249893/Consultation_response_Secondary_School_Accountability_Consultation_14-Oct-13_v3.pdfState funded schoolsWest SussexEngland Number of eligible pupils1Percentage reaching the expected standard2Percentage reaching the higher standardNumber of eligible pupils1Percentage reaching the expected standard2Percentage reaching the higher standardReading9,2406916641,5987424Writing9,240537641,5986513Mathematics9,240659641,5987318Science39,24078-641,59582-Source: Key Stage 1 attainment informationNotes: Includes pupils who are absent, disapplied, working below/towards the expected standard and reached a higher standard at the end of key stage 1. Excludes pupils with missing teacher assessments.Includes those working at the expected standard and those working at greater depth within the expected standard.The percentage reaching the higher standard for science is not applicable   The table below shows 2016 provisional attainment information for pupils at the end of Key Stage 2 in reading, writing (teacher assessment) and mathematics:  State funded schools1West SussexEngland Number of eligible pupils2Percentage reaching the expected standard3Percentage achieving a high score4Number of eligible pupils2Percentage reaching the expected standard3Percentage achieving a high score4Reading, writing and mathematics8,276442586,181525Source: 2015/16 (Provisional) Primary school performance dataNotes:Figures for academies, free schools and CTCs are included in the individual LA figures and also in the total for England state-funded schools. Figures for hospital schools and pupil referral units are excluded.Includes pupils who have reached the end of key stage 2 in all of reading, writing and mathematics. Excludes pupils with lost test results but includes those with missing results and those with pending maladministration.Includes those pupils who reached the expected standard in all of reading, writing and mathematics. The expected standard in reading and mathematics is a scaled score of 100 or above. The expected standard in writing is a teacher assessment of 'working at the expected standard' (EXS) or 'working at greater depth within the expected standard' (GDS).Includes those pupils who reached a higher standard in all of reading, writing and mathematics. A higher standard is a scaled score of 110 or more in reading and mathematics and pupils assessed as working at greater depth within the expected standard (GDS) in writing.  The table below shows 2016 provisional GCSE and equivalent entries and achievements of pupils at the end of Key Stage 4: State funded schools1West SussexEnglandNumber of pupils at the end of key stage 428,129538,623 Pupils entered for all componentsPercentage of pupils who achievedPupils entered for all componentsPercentage of pupils who achievedA*-C in English and maths GCSEs96.764.596.862.8English Baccalaureate40.926.039.724.6 State funded schoolsWest SussexEnglandAverage attainment 8 score per pupil350.749.9 State funded schoolsWest SussexEngland Number of pupils included in the measureAverage Progress 8 score4Number of pupils included in the measureAverage Progress 8 score4Progress 837,7560.11512,368-0.03Source: 2015/16 key stage 4 attainment data (Provisional)  Notes: 1. Cover achievements in state-funded schools only. They do not include pupils recently arrived from overseas and so will not match with state-funded figures in the main tables. 2. Includes entries and achievements by these pupils in previous academic years. 3. Attainment 8 and Progress 8 are part of the new secondary accountability system being implemented for all schools from 2016. Attainment 8 is calculated for all schools, Progress 8 is calculated for state-funded schools and non-maintained special schools only. More information on the calculation of these measures is available in the Progress 8 guidance: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/progress-8-school-performance-measure4. A Progress 8 score of 1.0 means pupils in the group make on average a grade more progress than the national average; a score of -0.5 means they make on average half a grade less progress than average. Progress 8 scores should be interpreted alongside the associated confidence intervals. If the lower bound of the confidence interval is greater than zero, it can be interpreted as meaning that the group achieves greater than average progress compared to pupils in mainstream schools nationally and that this is statistically significant. If the upper bound is negative, this means that the group achieves lower than average progress compared to pupils in mainstream schools nationally and that this is statistically significant.

Schools

Lucy Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many (a) selective and (b) non-selective schools (i) she and (ii) the Minister for School Standards has visited since taking office.

Caroline Dinenage: The Secretary of State for Education has visited five schools, including one University Technical College, since she took office in July, all of which were non-selective.The Minister for School Standards has visited five schools since he took office in July, all of which were non-selective.

Private Education: Sponsorship

Lucy Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many independent schools sponsor (a) academy schools, (b) free schools and (c) multi-academy trusts; and what the Ofsted grade is for each of those sponsored schools.

Caroline Dinenage: As at 1 October 2016 there were eight sponsors set up by independent schools sponsoring a total of 11 academies. The Ofsted categories for these 11 schools are as follows:Ofsted categoryNo. of schoolsOutstanding2Good4Requires Improvement1Inadequate2Not visited2Source: Ofsted MI – 30 September 2016There are three free schools sponsored by independent schools. One is rated outstanding, one is good and one has not been inspected. These sponsors are linked directly to the schools they support. They do not sponsor multi-academy trusts.

Further Education: Greater Manchester

Ann Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many students enrolled in each of the further education colleges in Greater Manchester for each level of NVQ in the last three years for which information is available.

Robert Halfon: The attached tables show the number of adult students who started NVQ qualifications by level in each academic year between 2013/14 and 2015/16. It shows all further education providers that delivered courses in the Greater Manchester area. 



Adult students starting NVQ qualifications
(Excel SpreadSheet, 21.6 KB)

Further Education: Greater Manchester

Ann Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many students progressed from level 2 NVQ to further training and education in each of the further education colleges in Greater Manchester in the last five years for which information is available.

Robert Halfon: The Department cannot provide local progression data from NVQ level 2 as requested, as it does not hold the relevant data centrally. Destination data has been published for 2013/14 on the basis of college type and provider level. This is available in Tables 3 and 5 at the link below:https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/564207/outcome_based_success_measures__summary_tables.xlsx The data shows that in England, 18% of those completing full level 2 were participating in sustained learning. 81% of those completing full level 2 also had a sustained positive outcome (employment and/or learning).

Further Education: Greater Manchester

Ann Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many students enrolled in (a) GCSE and (b) A Level courses in each of the further education colleges in Greater Manchester in the last five years for which information is available.

Robert Halfon: The table below shows the number of adult students who started GCSE and A level qualifications in each academic year between 2011/12 and 2015/16. It shows all general further education colleges who delivered courses in the Greater Manchester area.Further Education CollegeQualification2011/122012/132013/142014/152015/16 (Provisional)Barnet and Southgate CollegeGCE A level-30---GCE AS level-70---Bolton CollegeGCE AS level20102020 GCSE3003806107701,430Bury CollegeGCE A level----1,030GCE A2 Level1,4501,5001,4101,000-GCE AS level2,8702,8002,2302,0402,050GCSE8701,2601,9502,1302,200Hopwood Hall CollegeGCSE5501,1601,2602,1501,890Knowsley Community CollegeGCSE----20The Manchester CollegeGCE A level30502040430GCE A2 Level390350310320-GCE AS level810750790930870GCSE7801,3502,2102,4802,710Rotherham College of Arts and TechnologyGCSE---10-Runshaw CollegeGCSE20----Salford City CollegeGCE A level60-1,9101,5601,310GCE A2 Level2,0701,7104050-GCE AS level3,1803,3603,1802,4002,220GCSE7701,1601,240800770Stockport College (formerly Stockport College of Further and Higher Education until 2013/14)GCE A2 Level15014011050-GCE AS level290280230--GCSE2805406606901,160Tameside CollegeGCE A level---210160 GCE A2 Level200280300-- GCE AS level530590540500580 GCSE5204008901,270610The Oldham CollegeGCE A level----- GCE AS level---10- GCSE2204106001,2901,450Trafford CollegeGCE A level----330 GCE A2 Level350360390400- GCE AS level730880820720620 GCSE3604003801,8201,510Wigan and Leigh CollegeGCE A level----- GCE A2 Level220230180110- GCE AS level52056030010- GCSE4906206801,0202,280Please note: Values of less than 5, are denoted by a ‘-’, including values of zero. If there are zero starts for a given qualification for a certain college provider across all years, it will not appear in the table.

Apprentices

Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 13 September 2016 to Question 44997, in what ways the Government is (a) encouraging a wider range of young people into apprenticeships and (b) increasing the proportion of BAME apprenticeship starts by 20 per cent by 2020.

Robert Halfon: We are committed to ensuring that apprenticeships are as accessible as possible to all people from all backgrounds.We are undertaking a range of activities to increase the awareness amongst young people of the available apprenticeship options, including the four-year Get In Go Far campaign that launched in May 2016. The campaign aims to influence public perceptions, awareness and attitudes towards apprenticeships as a route into a successful career, helping young people aged 14-24 to get the skills they need, and encouraging more young people to apply and more employers to offer apprenticeship opportunities.As part of reforms to the routes from compulsory school to employment, we set out new professional and technical routes, which will all lead to employment or degree-level study. This aims to ensure that young people have the education and skills to get into higher paid, long-term employment, including apprenticeships.We are increasing numbers of traineeships to further support young people, including those from areas of disadvantage, into apprenticeships and further work. Traineeships show good representation for both BAME and LDD groups (22.6% and 19.7% respectively).We remain committed to increasing the proportion of apprenticeships starts from people from BAME communities and have already put in place measures to support this, including: encouraging more people from BAME communities to apply for apprenticeships through communications and marketing; providing BAME role models in the Get in Go Far campaign; helping BAME apprenticeship applicants to have better rates of success in applications; and establishing a network of employer diversity ‘champions’.Recommendations from the LLD Taskforce led by Paul Maynard were accepted and published on 11 July, and will benefit a broader group of disabled apprentices. Work has begun on its implementation.

Department for Education: Temporary Employment

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much her Department has spent on agency workers in each of the last five years.

Caroline Dinenage: The Department has no data that defines Agency Workers for the last 5 years. However, the Department’s published data contains information on the total spent on non-payroll Contingent Labour staff (i.e., Agency Staff (Clerical and Admin); Interim Managers; and Specialist Contractors) in the Department for Education and its Executive Agencies. https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/dfe-monthly-workforce-management-information We do also publish the value of Contingent Labour in the Departments Annual Reports. https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/dfe-annual-reports In the last 4 years of Annual Reports our Contingent Labour costs were: 2011-12 - £1.67m2012-13 - £25.76m2013-14 - £30.4m2014-15 - £14.5m2015-16 - £15.8m We are yet to publish this year’s Contingent Labour costs in our Annual Report, however the figure of £15.8m was already collated and released for a different unrelated PQ no. 39467.

Children: Day Care

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, which agency has assumed the role formerly performed by 4Children of providing on-going support to organisations seeking to become childminder agencies.

Caroline Dinenage: Action for Children will provide on-going support to organisations seeking to become childminder agencies until March 2017. Action for Children assumed responsibility for this role on 1st September 2016.

Apprentices

Conor McGinn: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many apprenticeships were available in (a) St Helens North, (b) Merseyside and (c) the UK in each year between 2010 and 2015.

Robert Halfon: The attached table shows how many apprenticeships were started in the St Helens North constituency, the Liverpool Local Education Authority, and England for each of the last 6 academic years. The Department does not hold information on the number of apprenticeships available at any one time. Regional level data is published online at:https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/558301/201516_OCT_Apps_Starts_by_Region_PCON_LEA_LA_E_D_Final_V1.3.xlsx



Apprenticeship starts in St Helens North
(Excel SpreadSheet, 11.61 KB)

Apprentices: Low Incomes

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that the opportunity to undertake an apprenticeship is accessible to people from low-income backgrounds.

Robert Halfon: We are committed to ensuring that apprenticeships are as accessible as possible to all people from all backgrounds. We are increasing numbers of traineeships to further support young people, including those from areas of disadvantage, into apprenticeships and further work. We are encouraging a wide range of people from all backgrounds into apprenticeships – our ‘Get In Go Far’ campaign is aimed at 14-24 year-olds, their parents, teachers and employers. This major four-year campaign aims to influence public perceptions, awareness and attitudes towards apprenticeships as a route into a successful career, encouraging more young people to apply and more employers to offer apprenticeship opportunities. To support employers to offer more apprenticeships, under the apprenticeship funding policy published in October, we announced extra payments for 16-18 year olds and 19-24 year olds formerly in care or with an Education, Health and Care Plan. Employers and providers will receive a payment of £1,000 to support additional costs associated with these apprentices. Additionally, the Government will make an additional payment to providers for training an apprentice who lives in an area amongst the 27% most deprived. The payments will be £600 for areas amongst the 1-10% most deprived, £300 for the next 11-20%, and £200 for the next 21-27%. These payments will be in place for one year whilst we review the system for supporting people from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Ministry of Justice

Family Courts: Domestic Violence

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps her Department is taking to protect victims of domestic abuse in family law courts.

Dr Phillip Lee: This Government is committed to supporting vulnerable people at court, including victims of domestic abuse. The family courts take the issue of domestic abuse extremely seriously. There is a strong and clear framework for judges to apply to the management of difficult court room situations, to ensure they are handled sensitively for alleged victims of domestic abuse and other vulnerable witnesses. All judges receive specific training on this framework and they can intervene to prevent inappropriate questions or have questions relayed. Practical protections, for example, protective screens, video links, separate waiting rooms and separate entrances are available where appropriate. The Government is working with the judiciary to consider what additional protections may be necessary.

Cremation: Babies

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, to list the local authorities which have (a) conducted or are conducting inquiries into baby ashes and cremation regulations and (b) had discussions with the Government on conducting potential inquiries.

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, who the attendees were of meetings of the National Cremation Working Group; the positions they hold; and the organisations they represent.

Dr Phillip Lee: The report of the inquiry into historic infant cremation practices at Emstrey Crematorium in Shropshire was published in June 2015. Lord Bonomy’s Infant Cremation Commission in Scotland also raised concerns about cremation practices. The Government announced reforms in July, which will make sure that where these tragic circumstances arise in future matters are dealt with properly and sensitively. Ministry of Justice officials had discussions with the chair of the Emstrey inquiry, commissioned by Shropshire County Council, prior to his inquiry beginning and more recently have been in correspondence with Hull City Council about their work to investigate historic practices there. The National Cremation Working Group, convened by the Ministry of Justice in July 2016, is comprised of representatives from the cremation and funeral industries, voluntary organisations which support bereaved parents, medical professionals and other government departments with an interest in cremation. The group has thus far conducted business by email. Membership is as follows: Action 4 Ashes (Shropshire)Action For Ashes (Hull)Association of Private Crematoria and CemeteriesBlackpool CouncilBritish Pregnancy Advisory ServiceConwy County Borough CouncilCo-operative Funeral CareCremation Society of Great BritainCruse Bereavement CareCwm Taf University Health BoardDepartment for Communities and Local GovernmentDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsDepartment of HealthDignity PLCFederation of Burial and Cremation AuthoritiesHull City CouncilHuman Tissue AuthorityInstitute of Cemetery and Crematorium ManagementLullaby TrustNational Association of Funeral DirectorsNational Bereavement AllianceNational Society of Allied Independent Funeral DirectorsNottingham University Hospitals NHS TrustQueen Alexandra Hospital, Cosham, HampshireRoyal College of MidwivesSands; Stillbirth and neonatal death charityWelsh Government

Prisoners' Release

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 12 October 2016 to Question 48562, how much notice was given to the family of each victim of the release on temporary licence of the offender.

Mr Sam Gyimah: I refer to my previous answer given on 12 October. The family of the victims in these cases have the statutory right to request conditions – such as an exclusion zone – for inclusion in an offender’s licence. Families of victims are asked for this information when release on temporary licence (ROTL) is being considered in the first instance. They are subsequently informed if a series of ROTLs begins, but are not normally told before each individual ROTL takes place.

Prisoners' Release

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate she has made of the cost to her Department over the last 12 months of expanding recall eligibility to those released from short prison sentences.

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of 14-day recalls for women who breach their licence conditions in reducing future offending.

Mr Sam Gyimah: The Offender Rehabilitation Act 2014, which introduced licence and post sentence supervision for those serving short custodial sentences, applies to offences committed on or after 1 February 2015. Final proven reoffending data for those serving sentences imposed after the changes to the supervision of short sentences is not yet available. As with all new legislation, the operation of recall is kept under review.

Courts: Video Conferencing

Pauline Latham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when she plans to start the national roll-out of pre-recorded cross-examination for young vulnerable witnesses following the pilot of section 28 of the Youth and Criminal Evidence Act 1999.

Dr Phillip Lee: The roll-out of pre-trial cross examination for all vulnerable witnesses, including children, will commence in January 2017. The roll-out across all Crown Courts should be complete by the end of the year.

Prisons: Reform

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will report on the progress of the prison reform programme.

Dr Phillip Lee: The Justice Secretary announced major reforms to the prison system in the Prison Safety and White Paper published on November 3. The Prison Safety and Reform White Paper can be found on gov.uk.

Reoffenders: Females

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment her Department has made of the causes of the increase in the number of women recalled to prison from licence since December 2014.

Dr Phillip Lee: The increase in the number of recalls since December 2014 is largely due to the implementation of the Offender Rehabilitation Act (ORA) 2014 under which all offenders sentenced to less than 12 months are now receiving supervision and support for the first time. This is a significant step forward in working to reduce reoffending and protect the public.

Registered Intermediaries

Ann Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Answer of 13 February 2014 to Question 184186, how many (a) active and (b) inactive registered intermediaries there were in each year since 2013.

Dr Phillip Lee: The number of active registered intermediaries and those not available to take cases varies on a daily basis because of other demands on their time.

Registered Intermediaries

Ann Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Answer of 13 February 2014 to Question 184190, how many sexual offences were prosecuted which involved a person aged under 18 years old where that person was (a) matched and (b) unmatched with a registered intermediary since 2013.

Dr Phillip Lee: Data in the following table provides information on requests for registered intermediaries in cases involving sexual offences, as well as other types of offences for the years 2014 and 2015 and for the year to date 2016 as at 03 November. 2014 Non-sexual offencesSexual offences  0-1718+0-1718+CPSMatched90164349189 Unmatched6133223 Cancelled910104PoliceMatched382359978575 Unmatched16123612 Cancelled2252216SolicitorMatched0200 Cancelled1000Total5265651427819Grand Total3337 2015 Non-sexual offencesSexual offences  0-1718+0-1718+CourtsMatched1010CPSMatched195199467207 Unmatched100608739 Cancelled137231PoliceMatched7383921574736 Unmatched1445621374 Cancelled62196323SolicitorMatched0110 Cancelled1000Total125473424291080Grand Total 5497   2016Non-sexual offencesSexual offences0-1718+0-1718+CourtsMatched0010 Unmatched0010 In Progress0200CPSMatched172177508211 Unmatched16254310 In Progress0111 Cancelled5672PoliceMatched7933281807742 Unmatched812710420 In Progress93124 Cancelled3866220SolicitorMatched4050 Unmatched0101Total111857625511011Grand Total 5256

Registered Intermediaries

Ann Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Answer of 13 February 2014 to Question 184189, how many (a) matched and (b) unmatched registered intermediaries there were for each age group of vulnerable witnesses in each year since 2013.

Dr Phillip Lee: The following table provides the requested information for years 2014 and 2015 and for the year to date 2016 as at 03 November. 20140-45-1112-1718+65+TotalMatched3758335911,1741153,088Unmatched184527582150Cancelled13232828799Total4069016461,2601243,337   20150-45-1112-1718+65+TotalMatched4561,6658561,4091264,512Unmatched6535212721415773Cancelled209943464212Total5412,1161,0261,6691455,497   20160-45-1112-1718+65+TotalMatched4721,8929261,369894,748Unmatched28167507410329In Progress410810133Cancelled176728340146Total5212,1361,0121,4871005,256

Ministry of Defence

Armed Forces

Douglas Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 15 February 2016 to Question 26634, what progress he has made on the establishment of UK Defence Staffs in the Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa.

Mark Lancaster: The creation of British Defence Staffs in the Middle Esat, Asia Pacific and Africa is making good progress and is on track for establishment by the end of 2016. We are currently in the final stages of reaching formal agreement with the three host nations. I will write to the hon. Member to inform him of the dates when the British Defence Staffs will be in operation.

Law of War

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Government's Response to the Joint Committee on Human Rights Second Report of Session 2015-16, what recent discussions his Department has had with their (a) US and (b) European counterparts on international law on the use of force and the law of armed conflict.

Sir Michael Fallon: We have frequent discussions with US and European counterparts on international law on the use of force and the law of armed conflict.

Law of War

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Government's Response to the Joint Committee on Human Rights Second Report of Session 2015-16, what recent assessment his Department has made of the legal principles of (a) international and (b) domestic law that apply to the use of lethal force outside the scope of armed conflict.

Sir Michael Fallon: The Government's assessment of the relevant legal principles remain as set out in its response to the Joint Committee on Human Rights Second Report of Session 2015-16 which was provided to the Committee on 7 September 2016.

Defence Fire and Rescue Service: Pensions

Kirsten  Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 7 October 2016 to Question 46813, what timescale has been set for the review of Defence Fire and Rescue Service pensions by HM Treasury; and what consultation he plans will take place with the relevant trade unions as part of that review process.

Kirsten  Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 7 October 2016 to Question 46813, when the relevant trades unions were notified of the decision to include Defence Fire and Rescue Service pensions in the review being carried out by HM Treasury of the Enhanced Effective Pension Age and Effective Pension Age for Ministry of Defence police officers.

Kirsten  Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 7 October 2016 to Question 46813, what terms of reference have been set for the review of Defence Fire and Rescue Service pensions by HM Treasury; and what consultation took place with the relevant trades unions when framing those terms of reference.

Mark Lancaster: The Cabinet Office and Treasury are undertaking a review of the Effective Pension Age (EPA) for Ministry of Defence Police Officers. They are not conducting a review of the EPA specifically for Defence Fire and Rescue personnel but the outcome could influence discussions with the relevant Trades Unions. Discussions with the Trades Unions have been put on hold until the outcome is known. We are expecting a decision on the review for the Ministry of Defence Police Officers by the end of the year. The relevant Trades Unions were updated on the position on 2 November 2016.

Armed Forces Compensation Scheme

Kirsten  Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many members of the armed forces discharged on medical grounds secured an increase in a guaranteed income payment under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme on appeal in each of the last three years; and what the (a) average and (b) greatest change was in such payments in (i) cash and (ii) percentage terms in each such year.

Kirsten  Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what (a) legal and (b) other costs were incurred by his Department in contesting claims under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme in each of the last three years (i) in total and (ii) per claim settled in that year.

Kirsten  Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what amount his Department paid to (a) external lawyers and (b) consultants for assistance in contesting claims under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme in each of the last three years.

Kirsten  Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many former members of the armed forces who secured an increase in a guaranteed income payment under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme on appeal in each of the last three years; and what the (a) average and (b) greatest change was in such payments in (i) cash and (ii) percentage terms in each such year.

Kirsten  Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many former members of the armed forces who were discharged on medical ground secured on appeal an increased lump sum payment under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme in each of the last three years; and what the (a) average and (b) greatest change in such payments was in (i) cash and (ii) percentage terms in each such year.

Kirsten  Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many former members of the armed forces who continue to serve secured on appeal an increased lump sum payment under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme in each of the last three years; and what the (a) average and (b) greatest change in such payments was in (i) cash and (ii) percentage terms in each such year.

Kirsten  Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many members of the armed force secured on appeal an increased lump sum payment under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme in each of the last three years; and what the (a) average and (b) greatest change in such payments was in (i) cash and (ii) percentage terms in each such year.

Mark Lancaster: The information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Navy: Task Forces

Douglas Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the tweet of 1 November 2016 at 16:18 from the @HMSPWLS twitter account, whether his Department is planning to deploy the carrier strike group without Type 26 frigates; and whether his Department classifies that carrier strike group as a maritime task group.

Mike Penning: The Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carriers will operate as part of a Maritime Task Group, tailored to specific operational requirements. Regarding the precise composition of the Maritime Task Group, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 31 October 2016 to Question 49920.   



Warships
(Word Document, 14.51 KB)

Department for Work and Pensions

Employment: Disability

Richard Fuller: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department has taken to make sure that British Sign Language users are made aware that the two-ticks scheme is being transferred to Disability Confident.

Richard Fuller: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department has taken to ensure that employers based within the construction industry are engaged with the Disability Confident scheme.

Richard Fuller: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department has taken to ensure that employers who engage with the Disability Confident scheme are provided with the information they need to be able to employ people with hearing loss.

Penny Mordaunt: Disability Confident is a pan-disability scheme that has been designed and developed by disabled people, disability organisations and employers. The scheme provides employers with the tools they need to recruit, retain and develop disabled employees. Embedded within the scheme are links to useful videos, information and a range of guidance. The scheme went live in a test and learn phase in July and was formally launched on 2nd November 2016 at the Recruitment Employment Confederation in London, with press releases and promotion through mainstream media, social media, Jobcentre Plus, disability organisations, and Disabled People's User Led Organisations. Further promotion of the scheme is being planned, including material in BSL. The aim of the scheme is to reach the widest possible number of employers, covering all sizes and sectors. This includes employers from the construction industry, a number of whom have already signed up. Officials from my Department have worked with representatives from the Construction Industry Council (CIC) to help the construction industry become Disability Confident. The Disability Confident scheme contains embedded links to information for employers about supporting staff with hearing loss, including references to Access to Work. The Access to Work scheme can assist where disabled people need support above and beyond employer-provided reasonable adjustments. Access to Work features specialist teams who provide a dedicated service to particular groups of customers, including deaf customers. The Government has committed to supporting an additional 25,000 people through Access to Work by 2021.

State Retirement Pensions

Dr Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the cost of a real terms increase of (a) 1.5 and (b) 2.5 per cent in the basic state pension in each year to 2025.

Richard Harrington: The following table shows forecasts of Basic State Pension expenditure with(1) Triple lock uprating using Budget 2016 uprating assumptions(2) Real terms increase of 1.5% (CPI + 1.5%) using Budget 2016 CPI assumptions(3) Real terms increase of 2.5% (CPI + 2.5%) using Budget 2016 CPI assumptions  Basic State Pension Expenditure, Budget 2016, under various uprating schemes from 2017/18 to 2020/21, £ billion 2016/172017/182018/192019/202020/21 (1) BSP expenditure, Budget 201669.068.568.568.668.2 (2) BSP expenditure uprated by CPI + 1.5%69.068.267.968.167.7 (3) BSP expenditure uprated by CPI + 2.5%69.068.969.270.170.3  Forecasts to 2025 are not available as the most recent long-term projections were published in summer 2015 and use different uprating assumptions and different underlying population projections to these Budget 2016 based forecasts.

Pensioners: Social Security Benefits

Dr Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the estimated projected cost is of (a) the basic state pension and (b) additional pensioner benefits by benefit for (i) the lifetime of the current Parliament and (ii) 2020 to 2025.

Richard Harrington: The table below shows the estimated projected costs of pensioner benefits: DWP Benefit Expenditure directed at pensioners, Budget 2016 forecast, £ million 2016/17 2016/172017/182018/19 2019/20 2020/21Attendance Allowance5,5345,6155,7806,0396,363  Bereavement Benefits81000  Carer's Allowance3937373831  Christmas Bonus - contributory124124123122121  Cold Weather Payments7274757576  Disability Living Allowance4,4463,8963,3253,0612,896  Financial Assistance Scheme214226238250259  Funeral Expenses Payments1616161616  Housing Benefit6,2435,8665,5735,3485,352  Industrial injuries benefits515505504509489  Mesothelioma 200899999  Over-75 TV Licence6316534682470  Pension Credit5,7515,5165,3175,2925,281  Personal Independence Payment6611,3191,7291,9572,179  Pneumoconiosis 19794545454544  Severe Disablement Allowance126120117115113  State Pension91,67794,05497,222100,297103,339  of which basic element 69,02368,46868,51668,61068,189 of which earnings-related element ("Additional Pension", "SERPS" or "S2P") 18,13917,84117,73817,78417,676 of which Graduated Retirement Benefit 2,1702,1102,0682,0411,999 of which lump sums (covering all contributory elements) 738733655550451 of which new State Pension (excluding protected payments) 1,4304,5507,72610,66414,242 of which new State Pension Protected Payments (including inherited elements) 82252415538668 of which non-contributory ("Category D") 96100103109114 State Pension Transfers22222  Winter Fuel Payments2,0592,0221,9881,9701,959  Total Expenditure directed at pensioners118,174120,100122,570 125,393 128,529  Projections of benefit expenditure to 2025, based on Budget 2015 assumptions and earlier population projections are available at:https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/432575/ltp-publication-2015.pdfwith more detail at:https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/432576/long-term-projections-pensioner-benefits-tables-2015.ods. These are not directly comparable to the numbers provided in this answer due to differing uprating assumptions and underlying population projections.

Department for Work and Pensions: ICT

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many of his Department's digital and IT projects are (a) under review and (b) at risk of cancellation.

Caroline Nokes: (a) Performing regular reviews of projects within a portfolio is an industry standard best practice activity. We currently have an active portfolio of circa 250 initiatives across DWP Digital. We are reviewing all of these regularly. (b) We regularly pause and accelerate projects based on business need and the need to sequence interdependencies across a complex systems estate. Given the agile delivery methods adopted by DWP, no projects are currently at risk of cancellation.

Children: Tottenham

Mr David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in Tottenham constituency (a) are entitled to claim child benefit and (b) have experienced payment arrears due to non-resident parents not paying full or any child maintenance within the last 12 months; and what the total value of these unpaid arrears is.

Caroline Nokes: a) The number of people entitled to claim Child Benefit in Tottenham constituency is not available. However, the number of families who received Child Benefit in the constituency can be found in Table 6 from Child Benefit statistics geographical analysis: August 2015: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/child-benefit-statistics-geographical-analysis-august-2015  b) In the 12 months to June 2016, 450 cases with the Child Support Agency in the Tottenham constituency have experienced new payment arrears due to a non-resident parent either not paying any child maintenance or not paying in full. The total value of arrears on cases in the Tottenham constituency stood at £5,461,264. This is for all cases, and not just those with arrears that have built up in the 12 months to June 2016, and includes arrears from the whole life of the case. Information on geographical breakdowns on the Child Maintenance Scheme is not routinely recorded for management information purposes and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.Notes: 1) Numbers are rounded to the nearest 10.2) Monetary values are rounded to the nearest pound.3) Cases have been allocated to a parliamentary constituency by matching the residential postcode of the parent with care or non-resident parent for all cases administered on the CS2 and CSCS computer systems and cases managed off system to the Office for National Statistics Postcode Directory.

British Steel: Pensions

Stephen Kinnock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he plans to publish his Department's response to the British Steel Pension Scheme Consultation.

Richard Harrington: The consultation paper set out various options for potentially helping the British Steel Pension Scheme as a part of a wider package of Government support to do what we can for UK Steel, steel workers and affected localities. The consultation closed on 23 June, and we will respond in due course.

Personal Independence Payment

Phil Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 19 October 2016 to Question 47959, whether his Department plans to regulate the way public money is spent by private companies who are contracted by the Government with respect to members of staff being paid financial bonuses in addition to a salary.

Caroline Nokes: There are currently no plans for the Department to prescribe providers with criteria on how they should pay salary or bonuses to their staff. That is purely a commercial decision for the assessment providers. All health assessment contracts with DWP are awarded on an overall value for money basis.

Home Office

Passports

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the (a) legal and (b) financial obstacles to immediately changing the colour of UK passports to blue.

Brandon Lewis: There are no immediate plans for changes to the format or colour of the UK passport. Parliament will be informed of any changes in due course.

Post-mortems

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the Government has taken as a result of the recommendation made in the Hutton review of forensic pathology in England and Wales, submitted to the Minister of State for Crime and Prevention in March 2015, that second post-mortems are only authorised following a formal application to a coroner or judge and become a desktop review of the first report.

Brandon Lewis: The Home Office has raised the process of second post mortem authorisation with the Chief Coroner who has produced proposed changes in line with Hutton recommendation that are currently out for consultation with key stakeholders.

Firearms: Greater London

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many gun-related homicides have taken place in (a) London and (b) Bethnal Green and Bow in each year since 2005.

Brandon Lewis: The Home Office Homicide Index contains information on homicides recorded by the police at the police force area level. Data on the number of homicides recorded by the police in London where the method of killing was by shooting are given in the Table.The data refer to the position as at 13 November 2015, when the Homicide Index was frozen for the purpose of analysis.Information on homicides recorded in 2015/16 will be published by the Office for National Statistics in February 2017.  Table: Homicide offences1 recorded by the police in London2 where the method of killing was by shooting  YearNumber of offences  2005/06232006/07292007/08232008/09202009/10162010/11252011/12152012/1352013/14102014/1551. Source: Homicide Index, Home Office 2. London includes City of London and Metropolitan Police

Police: Helicopters

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average police helicopter response times have been for each police force in each of the last five years.

Brandon Lewis: The Home Office does not hold this information.The National Police Air Service (NPAS) is responsible for the provision of police air support in England and Wales and its performance is overseen by the NPAS Strategic Board, which comprises chief constables and police and crime commissioners from each region.

Sequestration of Assets

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what value of criminal assets has been recovered from overseas confiscation orders in each of the last seven years.

Mr Ben Wallace: The data requested is not held centrally. The UK is committed to ensuring that criminal funds are returned to our international partners. In November 2015 the UK returned £28.7 million of the proceeds of corruption to the authorities in Macao, and the Immigration Minister recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Nigerian Government in anticipation of the return of stolen assets to Nigeria.The Criminal Finances Bill will create new powers to help our law enforcement agencies recover criminal funds, even when the predicate crimes took place overseas and no conviction has been secured, in the form of Unexplained Wealth Orders and a power enabling the forfeiture of criminal funds held in bank accounts.

Police: Dismissal

James Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police officers were dismissed under The (a) Police (Conduct) Regulations 2012, (b) Police (Performance) Regulations 2012 and (c) the Police (Attendance Management) Regulations in the last year for which figures are available.

Brandon Lewis: From 2015/16 the Home Office started collecting data for the first time on ‘Misconduct and Criminal Investigations’ as part of the Annual Data Requirement (ADR).These data are intended for publication next year, with the dates to be pre-announced on the Statistical Release Calendar on the gov.uk website. Data are not held centrally for previous years.

Police: Pensions

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reasons the Government plans not to reinstate police widow pensions for widowers who have had their pensions revoked due to remarriage or co-habiting under the Police Pension Regulations 1987; and if she will bring forward new proposals to ensure that all police widows are treated equally for the provision of such pensions.

Brandon Lewis: Successive governments have been clear that we have a general presumption against making retrospective changes to public service pension schemes.However the Government believes that the arguments for making this change in respect of police officers who died on duty are sufficiently compelling to allow a limited exception in this case.The changes to survivor benefits in the police, firefighters and Armed Forces pension schemes have a common implementation date and it is not possible to reinstate the pensions of those who have married before this.There are no plans to make any further changes to survivor benefits for police pension schemes.

Wales Office

Wales Office: Temporary Employment

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how much his Department has spent on agency workers in each of the last five years.

Guto Bebb: The Departmental spend on agency staff over the last five financial years is set out below: Financial YearSpend (£)2011/1236,6032012/1338,9032013/14114,0232014/15248,5452015/1656,561

Wales Office: Pay

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what proportion of women are employed by his Department on an inner London pay structure in the following pay grades (a) Administrative Assistant, (b) Administrative Officer, (c) Executive Officer, (d) Higher Executive Officer, (e) Fast Streamer, (f) Senior Executive Officer, (g) Grade Seven, (h) Grade Six, (i) Senior Civil Service Band 1, (j) Senior Civil Service Band 1A, (k) Senior Civil Service Band 2 and (l) Senior Civil Service Band 3.

Guto Bebb: The Wales Office is a very small department where the majority of women who work at our Cardiff Office are on the National pay structure. The proportion of women on the inner London pay structure by grade is detailed below: PROPORTION OF WOMEN IN LONDON%  (a) Administrative Assistant11%  (b) Administrative Officer22%  (c) Executive Officer22%  (d) Higher Executive Officer11%  (e) Fast Streamer0%  (f) Senior Executive Officer0%  (g) Grade Seven22%  (h) Grade Six0%  (i) Senior Civil Service Band 111%  (j) Senior Civil Service Band 1Ano staff employed at this grade  (k) Senior Civil Service Band 20%  (l) Senior Civil Service Band 3no staff employed at this grade

HM Treasury

Treasury: Females

Catherine West: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what proportion of women are employed by his Department on an inner London pay structure in the following pay grades (a) Administrative Assistant, (b) Administrative Officer, (c) Executive Officer, (d) Higher Executive Officer, (e) Fast Streamer, (f) Senior Executive Officer, (g) Grade Seven, (h) Grade Six, (i) Senior Civil Service Band 1, (j) Senior Civil Service Band 1A, (k) Senior Civil Service Band 2 and (l) Senior Civil Service Band 3. Band 3.

Simon Kirby: For the breakdown of the proportion of women employed at each grade please refer to the Annual Report and Accounts which can be accessed via the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hm-treasury-annual-report-and-accounts-2015-to-2016

Treasury: Temporary Employment

Tim Farron: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much his Department has spent on agency workers in each of the last five years.

Simon Kirby: The amount the department has spent on agency workers in the last five financial years are as follows: YearSpend (£)2011/12140,3152012/13321,3602013/14188,3022014/15408,6282015/16206,783

UK Trade with EU

Jonathan Edwards: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he made of the potential cost to the public purse of subsidising tariffs for access to the single market for the (a) financial services, (b) insurance, (c) professional services, (d) food, beverages and tobacco, (e) machinery, electrical and transport, (f) chemical and pharmaceuticals, (g) metal, plastic and non-metal mineral products, (h) aerospace and (i) automotive sectors.

Mr David Gauke: The Government continues to undertake a range of analyses to inform the UK's position for the upcoming EU exit negotiations, to ensure the best possible deal for the UK. However, this does not extend to assessing the impact on the public purse of tariff subsidisation that would be illegal under international law.

Taxation: Company Cars

Richard Burden: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what representations he has received from the car industry on the proposals to increase taxation on company car drivers contained in the HM Revenue and Customs consultation on salary sacrifice for the provision of benefits in kind, published on 10 August 2016.

Jane Ellison: As part of the consultation on salary sacrifice for the provision of benefits-in-kind, officials have engaged with interested parties. Responses have been received from a wide range of representatives, including those from the car industry. The Chancellor of the Exchequer has also received correspondence from representatives of the car industry expressing views on the consultation.

Taxation: Self-assessment

Richard Burden: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions his Department has had with HM Revenue and Customs on the accessibility of the online self-assessment tax returns service.

Jane Ellison: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) monitors user feedback and research to make improvements to the Online Self-Assessment service. HMRC regularly updates Treasury Ministers on its performance.

Bank Services: EU Law

Alison Thewliss: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he plans to bring forward legislative proposals for the Government to adopt the revised EU Payment Services Directive into UK law.

Simon Kirby: The Government expects to lay the implementing legislation to transpose the revised Payment Services Directive (PSDII) in Parliament in early 2017 and will be consulting on the draft legislation shortly.

Incentives

Steve McCabe: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 14 October 2016 to Question 46911, what evidence base his Department used to inform the conclusion that cash bonuses have reduced significantly.

Simon Kirby: Before the crisis there was no regulation of variable remuneration however it is widely acknowledged that variable remuneration was largely paid out in cash, The Bank of England, stated as such in their 2015 Q4 quarterly bulletin, “Aligning reward with risk in the financial sector”. Since the crisis, and the regulatory efforts that followed, the variable remuneration of material risk takers now has to comprise 50% cash and 50% non-cash which has led to a resulting reduction in the cash element. HMT analysis of tax receipts confirms a reduction in cash bonuses. Firms are also required to defer a greater portion of their bonus for a longer period of time, resulting in a fall in the value of bonus that is paid in any given year. More widely, the legislative impact has shifted the balance in remuneration packages towards higher levels of fixed pay, reducing the amount paid in variable remuneration across the sector, with a commensurate impact on cash bonuses. For example, Pillar 3 disclosures revealed that fixed pay as a percentage of total remuneration at the UKs five largest banks rose from 28% to 54% between 2013 and 2014 following implementation of the bonus cap.

Incentives

Steve McCabe: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 14 October 2016 to Question 46912, if he will make it a requirement for insurance firms to introduce similar policies on bonuses as the financial services industry.

Simon Kirby: The Government has no plans to make it a requirement for insurance firms to introduce similar policies on bonuses as the banking sector. However, as part of the Government’s long term plan to build a resilient economy, the Government has reformed the way that senior managers across the financial services industry, including the insurance industry, can be held to account for failings that occur on their watch through the extension of the Senior Managers and Certification regime to all authorised persons.

Cabinet Office

Cabinet Office: Pay

Catherine West: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what proportion of women are employed by his Department on an inner London pay structure in the following pay grades (a) Administrative Assistant, (b) Administrative Officer, (c) Executive Officer, (d) Higher Executive Officer, (e) Fast Streamer, (f) Senior Executive Officer, (g) Grade Seven, (h) Grade Six, (i) Senior Civil Service Band 1, (j) Senior Civil Service Band 1A, (k) Senior Civil Service Band 2 and (l) Senior Civil Service Band 3.

Ben Gummer: The Cabinet Office has a London pay scale which applies to staff in London and Basingstoke. The Cabinet Office has amalgamated pay bands for its grades below the Senior Civil Service and this is reflected in the reply below.52.17% of the staff in Cabinet Office on the London pay scale at AA and AO are female.56.58% of the staff in Cabinet Office on the London pay scale at EO level are female.56.67% of the staff in Cabinet Office on the London pay scale at fast streamer level are female.52.77% of the staff in Cabinet Office on the London pay scale at HEO and SEO level are female46.31% of the staff in Cabinet Office on the London pay scale at Grade 7 and Grade 6 level are female.45.27% of the staff in Cabinet Office on the London pay scale at SCS1 are female.The Cabinet Office does not have any staff at SCS1A grade33.33% of the staff in Cabinet Office on the London pay scale at SCS2 are female.41.67% the staff in Cabinet Office on the London pay scale at SCS3 are female. The Government is committed to improving female representation and tackling the gender pay gap in the Civil Service. From April 2017 we will be introducing new measures that require all organisations across the private, voluntary and public sector to regularly publish gender pay gap analysis and statistics, to bring greater transparency to pay disparities between men and women across the UK.

Department for International Trade

Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether he has consulted the Competition and Markets Authority on the implications for its remit of the draft Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership.

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether he has consulted the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets on the implications for its remit of the draft Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership.

Mark Garnier: The lead department on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) was previously the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) and is now the Department for International Trade. BIS established a process for regular cross-Whitehall engagement with relevant parts of Government to ensure matters arising from the TTIP discussions have been considered appropriately.

Department for International Trade: Pay

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what proportion of women are employed by his Department on an inner London pay structure in the following pay grades (a) Administrative Assistant, (b) Administrative Officer, (c) Executive Officer, (d) Higher Executive Officer, (e) Fast Streamer, (f) Senior Executive Officer, (g) Grade Seven, (h) Grade Six, (i) Senior Civil Service Band 1, (j) Senior Civil Service Band 1A, (k) Senior Civil Service Band 2 and (l) Senior Civil Service Band 3.

Mark Garnier: Following her appointment on 13 July 2016 the Prime Minister established the Department for International Trade (DIT). The DIT aggregates UK Trade and Investment (UKTI), UK Export and Finance (UKEF), Trade Policy Units from the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS), as well as some new hires.Until such time as a transfer of functions order establishes my Rt hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Trade as a corporation sole, DIT remains a unified Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) department for accounting purposes. The transfer of functions order (No 2016/ 992) laid on 19 October 2016 will come into effect on 9 November 2016.As DIT is currently being formed, details of the staff that the Department employs is being finalised, whilst employee transfers and recruitment are taking place.

Overseas Trade

Stewart Malcolm McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, if he will make it his Department's policy to refuse future trade deals between the UK and countries that criminalise consensual same-sex conduct.

Mark Garnier: The Prime Minister has established the Department for International Trade to promote British trade across the world, and the Department’s ministers will provide further information on its strategy and policies over the coming months.The UK has a strong history in protecting human rights. While we remain members of the EU, we will continue to support a trade liberalising agenda and the UK will participate constructively in EU decision making on trade issues, including on human rights requirements. The UK has long supported the promotion of our values globally and this will continue as we leave the EU.

Department for International Trade: Temporary Employment

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how much his Department has spent on agency workers in each of the last five years.

Mark Garnier: The Department for International Trade (DIT) has been forged out of the forerunner (non-ministerial) Department UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) and has assumed the Trade Policy Unit responsibilities previously held by the Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS). My Rt hon Friend the Secretary of State for International Trade also has responsibility for UK Export Finance (the Export Credits Guarantee Department), which has its own budget.The budget of the department is currently being established and will be submitted to Parliament later this financial year.

Antidumping

Andrew Bridgen: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what work his Department has undertaken on developing affordable, accessible and adequate UK trade defence instruments.

Andrew Bridgen: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps he is taking to ensure that future UK Trade Defence Instruments effectively guard against protectionist dumping.

Mark Garnier: This department is working to ensure that the UK will have in place an effective trade defence remedies framework and will be able to take action against unfair trading practices, upon the UK’s departure from the EU.

Department of Health

Docklands Medical Services

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the correction of 1 November 2016 to the Answer of 26 October 2016 to Question 49779, what the terms of reference were of the NHS England investigation into the provision of patient transport services during July, August and September 2016; by what date he asked for that investigation to be completed; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Philip Dunne: NHS England is finalising the terms of reference for an independent reviewer, including its anticipated duration, which will investigate how the commissioners were assured that all providers contracted by Coperforma were properly registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC). NHS England will also be reminding all clinical commissioning groups of the need to ensure relevant patient transport providers are registered with the CQC.

Patients: Transport

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make it his policy to review the private contracting of patient transport services; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Philip Dunne: Decisions about arrangements for patient transport services are made locally. However, they are taken within a clear legal framework relating to issues such as Care Quality Commission (CQC) registration. I have asked NHS England to ensure that all clinical commissioning groups are aware of the need to ensure that relevant patient transport service providers and subcontractors are registered with the CQC.

Women and Equalities

Equality and Human Rights Commission

Mr Steve Reed: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, which civil society stakeholders have been consulted on the proposed restructuring of the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

Caroline Dinenage: The Equality and Human Rights Commission is responsible for determining its own structure and any consultation it undertakes on that. I have therefore asked the Chief Executive Officer of the Commission to write to the Right Honourable Member with the information requested.